xfinity rewards is a program whose sole purpose is to say "thank you" with experiences big, small and once-in-a-lifetime. sometimes it's about cheering hard enough to shake the stadium! sometimes, it's as simple as movie night right here at home, on us. you mean the world to us. so we're bringing you closer to what you love. kinda like this. welcome to 30 rock! join xfinity rewards for free on the xfinity app today. our thanks, your rewards.

. remember, the power in america lies where it always does, in your hands, the hands of the people. >> it's election day in america. >> the only thing that could get you singing at 5 a.m. >> i am a little delirious. it's 5 a.m. good morning, everybody. how are you doing? >> i'm excited to see what happens today. >> me, too. >> we talk so much about the speculation, the day before the mid-terms is the worse and now we find out what's decided. >> this is a marathon. we're going to be here for a long time so get used to our faces, everybody. thanks for joining us.

polls begin to open in less than 2 hours. 435 house seats and 35 senate seats are on the line. so, too, is democracy. with election deniers poised to win key races or refuse to accept losses. >> cnn reporters are on the ground in the key battleground states this morning and here in the studio, our team has our eyes all over these critical races as well. americans are not just choosing candidates today. >> they're also weighing in on the issues. health care, abortion rights, marijuana and minimum wage are all showing up on the ballots for some voters. >> polls are about to open in critical battleground states that will likely determine control of congress. in georgia, republican herschel walker and democrat raphael warnock are locked in a very tight senate race. it is really up for grabs. the same holds true for pennsylvania. that's where john fetterman, mehmet oz are in a fierce senate

battle. cnn has reporters on the ground. get your coffee, get your breakfast, turn your tv on, watch us, our reporters. first stop, jeff zeleny live in the atlantic suburb of marietta, which i know well, my home for seven years. good morning. how is it going there, jeff? >> reporter: good morning, don. you know cobb county is one of the critical pieces of the puzzle we'll be watching all day as voters have their say today. more voters have their say. going into election day, an extraordinary 2.5 million georgians have already cast their ballots. officials say just 2 million more will cast their ballots today. we could have more than half of the ballots already in. this is a critical race for the u.s. senate.

no question about it. control of the u.s. senate on the line. democratic senator raphael warnock and herschel walker made his name in the football fame. last night both men had their closing arguments. >> we ain't talking about no runoff. we're winning this. when we leave, when we leave tomorrow night, we're leaving as winners. >> if the people show up, i win. if the people of georgia show up, i win. if the people of georgia show up, we win. are you ready to win this election? >> reporter: so of course it is all about which people show up. you heard the senator there telling people, really imploring people at a rally in columbus, georgia, to come out today. democrats believe they may have an edge going into early voting, but we know republicans vote traditionally in heavier

strength on election day. the polls do open here in marietta and across the state of georgia in just two hours' time. also of course a governor's race on the line. a rematch from 2018. republican governor brian kemp running again against democrat stacey abrams. a question in georgia, will the candidates avoid the runoff election. you heard herschel walker talking about it. they need 50% plus 1 to avoid that. that's what we'll have our eye on that. if they don't, there will be a month of overtime with the next runoff election on december 6th. >> oh, boy. no, no, no, no, no, jeff. i don't know if we have the patience for that. jeff zeleny once again in georgia at the center of the election this time again. thank you, jeff. appreciate it. let's go to columbus, ohio. after your interview with kevin mccarthy you must have flown overnight to get there. what are you hearing on the ground? >> well, listen, we have tim

ryan, the democrat. he's the congressman versus j.d. vance, the republican. he's the author of "hill bbilly elegy." democrats, if they can flip this, this would be a massive upset. tim ryan thinks he's going to, quote, shock the world. very optimistic outlook. this has been a closer than expected race. especially considering it is a red state that trump won in 2022. republicans have had to spend money and resources here. tim ryan has been able to raise a ton of money even without the help of the national republican party. a big part of that reason is that he has been a really good messenger on the economy for democrats. he has leaned into the economic pain that voters are feeling. he's talking about bringing manufacturing jobs back and he's also been a fighter. he's gone up against j.d. vance. he's tried to tie him to donald

trump. meanwhile, j.d. vance, he's someone that's trying to make tim ryan into the wanna be republican and saying he's not actually a moderate. he's trying to run as a republican even though he is a democrat. for j.d. advance, talking about inflation, talking about the border and making donald trump a key part of his strategy as well. the former president was here in ohio as well rallying for j.d. vance. j.d. vance was a one time never trumper. >> it's interesting. tim ryan message has been consistent for a long, long, time. jobs, economy. jobs, economy, manufacturing. it is this issue of this race as we've seen from all the polls. melanie, thank you from columbus. all right. turning now to where voters are going to be casting their ballots in critical races in pennsylvania. kate bolduan is live in bensalem, pennsylvania. kate, the final closing hours. we got a lawsuit from one of the

senate candidates, john fetterman when it comes to the mail-in ballots. what else are you watching on the ground? >> reporter: let's get to the mail-in ballots and the issues for a second. welcome to election day in bucks county, pennsylvania. this is one of the swingiest of swingy counties. candidates are begging to win over these swing voters. this could be the whole ball game, could be in a place like bucks county. donald trump in 2016 came within a couple thousand votes. 2020 joe biden won then by more than 17,000 votes. this is home to the swing suburban voters, especially in this very critical senate race between mehmet oz and john fetterman, they're begging for their support in the final days of this election. that is exactly what we heard from mehmet oz last night in his final campaign rally to supporters. listen to this.

>> this is bigger than just pennsylvania. in fact, it's bigger than the country in many ways. i want you to go out and talk to conservative democrats and independents because they're going to vote for us. are you happy with where the country is head snd. >> after all the campaign rallies and millions and millions of dollars of campaign ads, this is the most expensive senate race in the country now. the answer to that question could likely decide the election, especially who voters think can handle that question. the direction of this country. now, this is a race that candidates themselves say is too close to call, which is just the fact and it has been for a while. john fetterman said it's a jump ball. >> it's going to take a little bit for them to count the votes there as well. we'll be watching that closely. kate bolduan, we'll check back in with you. >> pack your patience as they say. record number of people across the country have voted.

they voted early by mail, dropoff or in person. victor blackwell joins us with the breakdown. good morning. >> big numbers. >> yeah, these are big numbers that we're seeing. early voting playing a huge role in the mid-term elections. more than 41 million people have cast those votes in 47 states. by comparison, it's surpassing the 2018 levels. that's of course in states where we're getting data. it's still too early to know if overall turnout will reach the 2018 levels. question, why could this be happening? some states with these big increases and free-election voting so far, they've made changes in election rules. since 2018, virginia, vermont, michigan, they've all expanded access to mail ballots. let's go into some of the state numbers here. texas at the top of the list. nearly 5.5 million early votes cast, that's the most in the country. more than 4.7 million in

florida. california, 4.1 million plus. georgia, as we heard from jeff zeleny, more than 2.5 million ballots cast. the secretary of state's office says more than 4 million voters have cast their ballots. pre-election ballots cast by party affiliation in the battle grounds. first up, arizona, democrats edging out just a little here with 38% to republicans 37%. in nevada, we're seeing democrats with a little bit more of a distance, 40% of the voters are democrats who have cast these pre-election ballots compared to 36% republicans. florida, the picture is flipped. more republicans, 43% to democrats 37%. it's important to say we don't know if these voters are voting for the candidates that match their registration. we also don't know what this means because maybe some of these people in 2018 worked an office job from 9 to 5, monday through friday and could not get

to the polls on tuesday until the afternoon. we'll have to see when the numbers come in if we see this turnout carry out for the rest of the day. >> it is a great thing to see such an engaged electorate. that is for sure. thanks, victor. we'll be back to you very soon. >> victor, poppy, there are 35 senate seats up for grabs. we just mentioned some of those races so let's turn now to cnn's senior data reporter. harry data inton. you know everything. you've got the wall. >> cheat sheet. >> my cheat sheet's up here, right? >> what do we have here? what are we looking at? >> we have a bunch of senate races. >> arizona .

>> the key thing to keep in mind is republicans need a net gain of 1. democrats, if we get to all of these, five races. democrats need to win four of five to maintain control. arizona, senator mark kelly, he was elected in 2020. this is a race that was close and close and close. this race is way too close to call. >> what's next. >> let's go to georgia. which is a race we've already mentioned. the thing i love about georgia which we are going to emphasize, in order to win in georgia, you need a majority vote. there is a runoff. that's why we have chase oliver on here. normally we don't have libertarian candidates. he could keep the leader from reaching 50% of the vote plus one. let's go back out west, don. i want to go out to nevada. a very strong challenge from the former attorney general. this is the republicans best pickup opportunity. laxalt has public office experience. democrats won every presidential

election in nevada since 2018. >> my handy notes say this is a tossup. it's not leaning -- >> all these states are tossups. >> all of them are tossups, okay. >> let's go to a state that is a tossup. >> new hampshire. >> new hampshire. senator maggie hassan barely won election back in 2016. joe biden easily won the state but hillary clinton won it by less than a point in 2016. don bolduc, a lot of people who thought was too extreme and they've gone back and forth. he seemed to be closing in the final days. this could be a surprise republican pickup opportunity. we'll go back to pennsylvania. why not end there? >> okay. >> let's end in the commonwealth, the keystone state. john fetterman was way out in front. mehmet oz has been closing, closing, closing. this will be a very interesting race insofar as understanding whether or not republicans can

overcome that because of joe biden's unpopularity. >> it's been one of the most dramatic when you think you have a former talk show host and then you have john fetterman who has had health issues. it's been dramatic for voters. >> very dramatic. neither of these candidates are perfect in the mind of voters. >> thank you, data inton. we appreciate that. caitlyn? >> cnn this morning's election day coverage is going to continue. our reporters standing by in wisconsin and arizona. we also have an entire roster of analysts to break down the high stakes races for you. and from abortion rights to the legalization of marijuana to minimum wage. ahead, the amendments that are on the ballot across the country today. ♪ voltaren. the joy of movement. ♪

i brought in ensure max protein with 30 grams of protein. those who tried me felt more energy in just two weeks. uhhhh... here, i'll take that. [woo hoo!] ensure max protein, with 30 grams of protein, one gram of sugar and nutrients for immune health. life... doesn't stop for diabetes. be ready for every moment, with glucerna. it's the number one doctor recommended brand that is scientifically designed to help manage your blood sugar. live every moment. glucerna. dry skin is sensitive skin, too. and it's natural. treat it that way with aveeno® daily moisture. formulated with nourishing, prebiotic oat. it's clinically proven to moisturize dry skin for 24 hours. aveeno®

we all have a purpose in life - a “why.” no matter your purpose, at pnc private bank we will work with you every step of the way to help you achieve it. so let us focus on the how. just tell us - what's your why? (julian) ugh. geez. (cecily) ironic, edelman struggling with reception. (julian) two things i hate dropping, balls and calls. (cecily) well you need a better network and verizon's new welcome unlimited plan for just $30 a line. (julian) verizon for $30? (cecily) yeah, it's their best unlimited price ever. (julian) i'm switching now! (cecily) and getting the network you want for $30... (julian) touchdown! (cecily) whoa! touchdown! (vo) everyone can get verizon for just $30 a line and now's the time to switch because you'll get up to $960. only on the network america relies on. verizon.

(taini) you know the fish, being out of the water, gasping for air? well, i feel worse than the fish. (ted koppel) before we even imagine covid-19, more than 150,000 americans a year died of a lung disease- copd. (bill) when the doctor told me you have copd...what's that? (ted koppel) it's estimated that 30 million americans have copd, half don't yet know it. (terry) [coughing] -excuse me. (ted koppel) people with copd are especially vulnerable to covid at a greater risk for hospitalization, more likely to need intensive care. (rhonda) people are dying every day from this. it's not going to go away.

(ted koppel) to protect our most vulnerable, we need to vaccinate everyone with copd. help us find them at copdsos.org. from holiday hills, illinois to rudolph, wisconsin. from santa claus, indiana to snowflake, arizona. from garland, texas to north pole, new york and everywhere in between. we're holiday ready with fast and reliable delivery, serving every address in america. the united states postal service.

all right. from health care to voting rights across the country today, there are more than 100 issues on the ballot. one of the biggest up for vote is abortion access. it will be voted on in five states, including michigan which wants to amend the constitution to ensure the right to an abortion. if that measure passes, the state would regulate abortion. others include legalizing marijuana for use in new jersey, maryland, north and south dakota. nevada will vote to increase the minimum wage. in nevada that will mean $12. in nebraska they could bring it up to $15 by 2026. joining us is cnn political commentator margaret hooper. thanks for joining us nice and

early on the set. >> thank you. thank you. i don't know why he's sleeping in and i'm here. >> we'll talk about that later. a lot of these ballot issues are actually affects some of these races. in michigan i've been talking to people who have been talking about how it's been a wedge between tudor and gretchen whitmer. >> it's really determining a lot of the talking points, a lot of the ads that you see on air there and it's really galvanized folks around this issue on both sides. listen, i think all of these ballot measures are test cases for the larger country, right? you think about minimum wage, the argument has been states can't afford it, restaurants can't afford it. we see it happening in the states and it's fine. with the legalization of marijuana you see this happening in other states. it's really to try to push the federal government to do something about legalizing

marijuana because average americans think that marijuana should be legalized on both sides of the aisle. the majority of voters say it should be legalized. >> on the first point that caitlyn asked you about, i wonder what you think about. it's been so important in what dana bash has been saying. even though they thought they were putting the ballot issue on in trying to do abortion, it split voters. she talked to a voter who was only comfortable voting for tudor dixon because he was able to protect abortion. >> democrats aren't monolithic when it comes to issues. you have traditional catholics who tend to be more socially conservative. you can't think that it's going to be a democratic issue if it's a ballot initiative for abortion. it's necessarily going to drive democrats to the polls. >> you see in many of these ballot initiatives is that it's

representing the key issues that are on the ballot. inflation and the economy. inflation, a hidden tax on any working american ends up being the driver for ballot initiatives that are for -- i'm so sorry, i'm blanking. 4:45 in the morning. minimum wage. it represents inflation. it is a shorthand for inflation. so that's ultimately what's driving the polls, driving energy to the polls this morning and today. that's what we're seeing. >> that's the first time i've ever seen you at a loss for words. >> please. >> and she found them very quickly by the way. >> dig in a little bit on that. are any of these drivers, is this really going to motivate these initiatives? >> what we're seeing in the last three days is that many of these states, especially in the senate races, coming down to the margin there and it seems to be that

the final push seems to be about the inflation and the economy and hard brass tacks economic issues. it's the final motivator. the enthusiasm and energy seems to be breaking for republicans. >> she brings up a good point about catholics being socially conservative. same thing for black voters. they tend to vote democratic. they're also socially conservative in many, many, many ways. >> you talk about black voters. the same with latino voters. increasingly evangelical voters particularly in the south. that's why you see some of the demographic shifts. republicans are very, very bullish on their chances with african american voters, latino voters. not winning them over completely but certainly doing better with those voters, particularly black men. this is going to matter in states like georgia, in states like pennsylvania, in nevada, latino voters there.

that's going to matter in texas and georgia. this will be a fascinating dynamic to watch over the next hours as we see the voters go to the polls and the results come in. >> part of the reason that people will also be watching that closely is to see, you know, what happens here. what it signals for 2024 potentially. the day after the mid-terms is when everyone starts immediately talking about 2024. former president trump is already doing so last night. but i also want to talk about the environment here. you mentioned texas and there was this parade for the astros after they won the world series last night. senator ted cruz was at the parade. you see this video. someone throws a beer can at the senator. that, of course, that person who threw that, the man was later arrested and ted cruz commenting on it. he commented saying, bad throw. what does this signal to you as we were just talking to that -- about that exclusive interview with pelosi about this political environment we're now in. the rhetoric and the vitriol

that has eroded our politics to team itch and pointing to the other and revielg the other. to the extent that often we're dehumanizing the other. that has led to an environment. where not only the speaker of the house's husband had his head bashed in but supreme court justices are having individuals target them in their homes. we are in a really, really dangerous moment where the kindling point is getting hotter and hotter. it's incumbent on all of us to bring down the temperature, to talk about the ideas and the issues. we can talk about the sentiments but we cannot demonize each other. we are all-americans. >> republican senator collins said, someone is going to get killed. >> america is no stranger to political violence if you think about assassinations that have happened in this country, of president's in political leaders

and so i think the difference now is you do have i think on the republican side almost a sort of cheering section for some of this violence that happens and that -- you know, that is a difference. >> you cannot -- listen, that was awful. it shouldn't happen to anyone. ted cruz, if you like, dislike, we don't know who the person is, whether it's democrat or republican. a lot of republicans in texas don't like ted cruz by the way. >> right. >> if you look at the video, if it wasn't for that gentleman who swatted it away, it was going right for his head and no one wants to see that. no one wants that to happen. but i think when you have people like don jr. and others, people who are running for office, making light of what happened to paul pelosi -- >> right. candidates. kari lake. >> what's going to happen to people on your own side, right? democrats doing the same thing. if democrats hadn't done that for the most part in this environment, you've got to be

consistent in this day and age and say, it is not right for people who make light of it, make fun of it, make jokes. you need to stand technical and call them out. >> we need to hear this on the republican side. we need to be hearing this on the republican side. it comes from the top even when he was president had rhetoric that supported, frankly, hate speech and violence. >> yes. >> we have seen more of that since january 6th. it has to come from the right. >> how long was this? >> 13 years. 13 years. >> congratulations. >> you can go out to dinner after the elections. >> margaret, we know you'll both be sticking with us all day long. getting up early with us. >> straight up ahead, we'll hear closing arg grumts key democrats and republicans. and they're coming for your money because they're not going to be stuck with people's affluence. >> this is an individual that

has spent $27 million of his own money trying to buy this seat. ? this is financial security. and lincoln financial solutions will help you get there. as you plan, protect and retire. ♪ biofreeze, the number one clinician recommended menthol topical pain relief brand. works fast. lasts long.

cool the pain with biofreeze. aah, it's a good day to cough. oh, no! bye, bye cough. later chest congestion. hello 12 hours of relief. 12 hours!! hmmm, ok. not coughing at yoga? antiquing not coughing? not coughing at the movies?! hashtag still not coughing?! aaah. oww! mucinex dm gives you 12 hours of relief from chest congestion and any type of cough, day or night. it's not cough season. it's always comeback season.

my most important kitchen tool? my brain. so i choose neuriva plus. unlike some others, neuriva plus is a multitasker supporting 6 key indicators of brain health. to help keep me sharp. neuriva: think bigger.

millions have made the switch from the big three to the best kept secret in wireless: xfinity mobile. that means millions are saving hundreds a year with the fastest mobile service. and now, introducing, the best price for two lines of unlimited. just $30 per line. there are millions of happy campers out there. and this is the perfect time to join them... for a limited time get $500 off any new eligible samsung device when you switch to xfinity mobile. learn more by talking to our switch squad at your local xfinity store today.

. so inflation is soaring. the u.s. is staring down a possible recession. today's mid-term elections may come down to a familiar truism coined by james harlow, it's the economy, stupid. >> they're strangling families with crippling inflation. >> since i came to office we've

created 10 million new jobs. 3.75% unemployment. >> amazingly seniors, their social security checks just don't stretch far enough anymore with run away inflation. >> i think it's also really critical that our next senator understands inflation. inflation is a tax on working people. >> joining us now, cnn's chief business correspondent christine romans. so we hear all of the rhetoric around what's happening with the economy, inflation, looming inflation. that's the rhetoric around it. give us the facts, just the facts. >> i think it's a mixed picture in the u.s. economy. you have headline numbers that are dangerous for the party in power. that is inflation running at a 40-year high. we haven't had a mid-term election since the carter administration or the early days of the ragan administration. it's just a situation we haven't seen in our lifetimes really or remember in our lifetimes at least. >> one of the points that the

biden administration cons consistently makes on this is, hey, the u.s., we're sort of in the middle of the pack. developed economies. but when you look at the numbers right now, you still have a lot of big economies with lower inflation than the u.s. brazil, china, canada, india, japan, france. they're lower. >> u.k. is worse. the e.u. as a whole is worse. it is a global picture. the inflation problem is a global problem. that does not resonate with people. when people are seeing their household budgets dented every week, to hear that oh, the u.k. has a problem too, this is a global situation, it just is not resonating with people. you know, he's right. you heard the president say 10 million jobs created. 4.1 million jobs created. i have a chart showing job creation this year is twice what it was in any pre-pandemic year. donald trump never saw a year like we've seen for job creation but people consistently don't feel good about the economy. when they try to trump pet the

good news, and there is some, it just falls on deaf ears. >> yeah. because you can't tell people, hey, it's actually way better than you're feeling it is. that's a struggle when you talk to white house officials, they say that is their greatest issue going into the mid-term elections. one thing president biden says i'm relying on the federal reserve. it's up to them. but talk to us about, you know, the cost of the fed's war on inflation. that is what voters are feeling when they're making their decisions today. >> so, the problem is the medicine to cure the patient, which is inflation, the medicine tastes terrible and hurts too. you've got a stock market. this is the second worst year for president, probably to the worst year since 2008. your 401k, your retirement is down a little bit. you've also got home prices now that are going to be capped but, guess what, by these huge mortgage rates. it's harder to buy a home.

the grocery bill is still high. credit card rates. can i mention the average credit card rate is now 19% apr. >> wow. >> keeping money -- if you can't pay off your credit card bill, you are getting killed out there right now. store credit cards, 29%. my advice for the holiday season is don't put it on a store credit card if you can't pay it right away. >> get in that wheel. >> absolutely. absolutely. that's what higher rates mean. so people are kind of caught in that, too. >> but i will say household balance sheets are much better today than they were in 2008. >> because they saved up a lot. >> because they saved up in covid. people were home for a year and a half. now they're spending money like crazy on, what? travel. >> flying. >> going out? entertainment? >> i wonder if there's any sugar when you said the medicine. i wonder if there's some sugar that will make the medicine -- >> i'm looking for sweet.

>> def leopard. >> they would play us into commercial. >> stop talking. >> thank you. >> we appreciate it. up next, local reporters in ohio and michigan are going to join cnn this morning live. we'll tell you what they're talking about, what they're watching today as voters are going to be heading to the polls as they've been on the ground covering these races closely. and sustain tissue health. ensure with twentyty-five vitamins and minerals, and ensure complete with thirty grams of protein.

to tell you something? the clues are all around us... not that one... that's the one. at university of phoenix, you could earn your master's degree in less than a year for under $11k. learn more at phoenix.edu hi, susan. honey. yeah. i respect that. but that cough looks pretty bad. try this robitussin honey. the real honey you love, plus the powerful cough relief you need. mind if i root through your trash? robitussin.

the only brand with real honeyand elderberry. all across the country, people are working hard to build a better future. so we're hard at work helping them achieve financial freedom. we're proud to serve people everywhere, in investing for the retirement they envision. from the plains to the coasts, we help americans invest for their future. and help communities thrive. president biden signed the inflation reduction act into law this afternoon. ok, so what exactly does it mean for you? out of pocket costs for drugs will be capped. for seniors, insulin will be just $35. families will save $2,400 on health care premiums. energy costs, down an average of $1,800 a year for families. and it's paid for by making the biggest corporations pay what they owe. president biden's bill doesn't fix everything, but it will save your family money.

♪ my name is austin james. as a musician living with diabetes, fingersticks can be a real challenge. that's why i use the freestyle libre 2 system. with a painless, one-second scan, i know my glucose numbers without fingersticks. now, i'm managing my diabetes better, and i've lowered my a1c from 8.2 to 6.7. take the mystery out of managing your diabetes and lower your a1c. now you know. try it for free at freestylelibre.us

the president said it well, we've got to get out there and run up the score on these guys because we need to win and we need to win big and take our country back. >> and that's why these elections are so important, especially when you're taking on such an extreme group of people who are trying to hijack it and jam their ideology down the throats of everybody else in the country. >> those are the closing arguments from the senate candidates in ohio. polls are going to open there in about 45 minutes. j.d. vance, tim ryan making their final pitch to voters. it's the seat left open by rob portman. one of the most closely watched races in the country. trump obviously has been campaigning for j.d. vance while ryan has been running his aggressive campaign in a state where the gops have dominated over recent years. joining us now to talk about what we should expect today is statehouse bureau news chief for ohio public radio and television

karen kassler. i know you've been watching this closely. what have you heard from voters in the closing days as these polls are set to open in about 45 minutes from now? >> reporter: the issue continues to be the economy. i think it's been that way through this whole campaign though of course there was a blip this summer where where democrats gained ground with the dobbs decision. the economy issue, gas prices, that's what you keep hearing from voters. i think it shows in the way that tim ryan has been campaigning. he's really been chasing the moderate voters, those frustrated trump voters trying to lure them over rather than really focusing on the democratic voters. >> karen, obviously that's a significant race, the senate race in ohio. you're there covering all of the races on the ground. you're focused on three races for three judges for the state supreme court because of the

huge say that it will have on the issue of abortion, on the gerrymandered maps that the federal court said ohio had to use in this election but the state supreme court will rule. >> reporter: this is an unusual year to have three of seven justices on the ballot, including the chief justice. this is also the first year ohio voters will see party affiliation on the november ballot. these justices ran in partisan primaries and they'll be described as partisan, republican or democrat on the fall ballot. the six-week abortion ban is currently on hold in ohio. it will come before the ohio supreme court at some point and we get to start the redistricting after this. after this election, the process begins again. if the court changes, then they

may mean the ruling on the unconstitutionally being gerrymandered. >> the same thing is happening in california. thank you for taking time to join us. >> reporter: great to talk to you. thanks. let's go to michigan where voters will decide the much watched democratic race between gretchen whitmer and tudor dixon. they will fill a number of house seats and vote on a ballot measure that could guarantee the right to abortion. joining us is dave boucher. it's good to have you. what are you hearing, seeing on the ground from voters that you don't think is getting enough attention in the national -- on the national stage about these races? >> well, we definitely also heard about inflation and gas prices but there's a difference between what voters are concerned about and what's actually driving them to vote for a particular candidate. in our most recent poll they said inflation and the economy were the number one issue.

there's also a proposed constitutional amendment that would guarantee a right to abortion. governor gretchen whitmer has tied her fate to that. the constitutional amendment is probably going to pass and governor whitmer is sitting in a relatively strong position heading into election night. >> what i brought up earlier that i think is interesting, dave, is the fact that there are voters that folks are talking to dana bash, talking to voters who say i voted for the ballot initiative to protect an abortion right. because that was on there i felt free to vote for tudor dixon who does not support that which i found fascinating. that's probably true of more than just one voter, no? >> sure, it could be. we've seen that there's a little bit of that going on. it's happening more in other races where voters don't know quite as much about the republican candidate for attorney general who might have a significant roll of any ban.

we're seeing a strong correlation between republican candidates and the constitutional amend zblmt good to have you. thank you very much. new this morning, last night's powerball -- did you get it? >> i didn't buy a ticket. >> no, but we have time. >> where he was going, poppy? >> we'll tell you why next. veriw welcome unlilimited plan for just $30 a line. (julian) verizon fofor $30? (cecilily) yeah, it's their best unlimited price ever. (julian) i'm switching now! (cecily) and getting the network you want for $3$30... (julian) touchdown! (cecily) whoa! touchdown! (vo) everyone can get verizon for just $30 a line and now's the time to switch because you'll get up to $960. only on the network america relies on. verizon. avoiding triggers but can't keep migraines away? qulipta® can help prevent migraines. you can't always prevent what's going on outside... that's why qulipta® helps what's going on inside. qulipta® gets right to work. in a 3-month study, qulipta® significantly reduced mohly migraine days

and the majority of people reduced them by 50o 100%. qulipta® blocks cgrp a protein believed to be a cause of migraines. qulipta® is a preventive treatment for episodic migraine. most common side effects are nausea, constipation, and tiredness. learn how abbvie could help you save on qulipta®. not flossing well? then add the whoa! of listerine to your routine. new science shows it gets in between teeth to destroy 5x more plaque above the gumline than floss. for a cleaner, healthier mouth. listerine. feel the whoa!

we all have a purpose in life - a “why.” no matter your purpose, at pnc private bank we will work with you every step of the way to help you achieve it. so let us focus on the how. just tell us - what's your why?

if you run a small business, you need the most from every investment. that's why comcast business gives you more. more innovation... with our new gig-speed wi-fi, plus unlimited data. more speed... from the largest, fastest, reliable network... and more savings- up to 60% a year with comcast business mobile. all from the company that powers more businesses than any other provider. get started with fast speeds and advanced security for $49.99 a month for 12 months. plus ask how to get up to a $750 prepaid card with a qualifying bundle.

you guys know what this is, right? it's not an omen. i may have gotten 12 text messages. since you have to be up, make sure you don't miss the eclipse. what's funny, we're inside so we can't see it. >> sorry, mom. >> is there an outdoors out there? we haven't left the studio for a while. >> all right. maybe it's an omen for what happened last night. lottery issue.

>> technical problem delayed that gigantic $1.9 billion powerball drawing. the california lottery announced late monday night it had to delay the drawing because officials need more time to complete the security protocols. cnn's martin savage is live in atlanta. i don't know if you bought powerball tickets, martin. what is happening and what security protocols broke down here? >> reporter: first of all, i did see that moon and it did portend badly. we know what it's all about with the powerball. i've heard of flights being delayed, even court cases being delayed but this is a new one on me. i've never heard of the powerball being delayed. as you point out, caitlyn, it's security protocols, which is a very mysterious realm because lottery officials are fanatical when it comes to their security protocols. here's what we know. the lottery, the powerball is sold in at least 45 different

states plus the district of could l columbia, plus the u.s. virgin island and puerto rico. they have to follow very strict security protocols. they've got to tabulate and they've got to turn in their returns and essentially everything has to go perfectly. somewhere along the lines last night it has not gone so. now quite frankly, with close to $2 billion on the line, not exactly a good look and we're still waiting to find out when this drawing is going to take place. lottery officials do expect it will take place, they just can't say exactly what time it is going to take place. we should point out, the good news is if you bought a ticket, you haven't lost. the bad news is, you just don't know if you're going to win. by the way, if you're hoping you can still rush out and go buy a ticket, i believe that train has already left. >> that was our question. >> that was the clarification we needed. so you can't go buy a ticket now? >> i would not try to do that.

things are already on edge at the lottery. they don't need a last-minute rush of people coming in. mega millions, you can buy a ticket for that. they might hold the drawings back to back. >> thanks, marty. >> martin savage, thank you. next we'll go live to several states where polls are just minutes away from hoping. >> house speaker nancy pelosi opening up for the first time about the attack on her husband. what she said exclusively to cnn. >> for me, this is really the hard part because paul was not the target and he's the one who's paying the price. can he stand on his own... once he's all on his own? this is financial serity. and lincoln financial solutions will help u get there.

as you plan, prott and retire. ♪ from holiday hills, illinois to rudolph, wisconsin. from santa claus, indiana to snowflake, arizona. from garland, texas to north pole, new york and everywhere in between. we're holiday ready with fast and reliable delivery, serving every address in america. the united states postal service. okay everyone, our mission is complete balanced nutrition. together we support immune function. supply fuel for immune cells and sustain tissue health. ensure with twenty-five vitamins and minerals, and ensure complete with thirty grams of protein.

wait a minute. where's the election music? dom, dom, dom-dom-dom. >> similar. >> it's the morning music. >> we are a little unstruck. already on the air two hours. >> mcdonald's coming, because you order us breakfast. >> doesn't count on election day. it is election day in america. so happy you could join us this morning again, we have been here two hours. a lot to get to this morning. soon the polls will open in ohio and pennsylvania and georgia. three very critical battleground states with extremely tight and consequential senate races. when all votes are counted the races that decide control of the house and senate. a very busy show today, and we have you covered all morning with everything you need to